Coal-washer.



J. B. KEENAM.

COAL WASHER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23, 1912.

1,073,992. Patented Sept. 23,1913.

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J. B. KEENAM.

COAL WASHER.

rum-r1011 rum) H0123, 1912.

Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES B. KEENAM, or BIRMINGHAM, Ata ama.

COAL-WASHER.

To all whom it may concern:

-Be it known-that 1, JAMES B. KEENAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and large or small particles such as chestnut oregg coal.

Further objects of this invention will appear as the following specific description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this applica .tion, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is an end elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 1-4: of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5-4) of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the main valve with parts broken away.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 represents a suitable hopper having arranged therein a casing 2 with a curved inwardly extending flange or lip 3 the purpose of which will be hereinafter described. Journaled-in the casing is a shaft at having keyed thereon a circular hub 5 from which extends a pair of plunger arms or blades (3 extending the full width of the casing and having packing'strips 7 secured upon the outer edges and adapted to wipe over a stroke adjusting gate S'as will be readily seen from an inspection of Fig. 3. The arms or blades 6 extend from diametrically opposite points of the hub and each has its outer edge adapted to travel with a packing strip in contact with the ate throughout each stroke, the movement o f the rear end of the gate to the forward end of the gateirrespective of the adjustment of the gate being considered one stroke and this being the case the hub carries what may be termed a double piston.

The gate 8 is carried by arcuate guide members 9 grooved to receive suitable pins 10 extending laterally from the gate as shown in Fig. 4. Connected to two of these pins are links 11 which in turn are pivotally Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 23, 1912.

the blade from Patented Sept.23,1913.

Serial No. 733,151.

secured to threaded operating rods 12 extending through packing glands 13 in the casing and being threaded in suitable operatln collars or nuts 14 hearing against the brac wt 15. By operating the nuts or collars 14 the gate may be caused to move toward or away from the curved inwardly ex tending flange or lip and thereby regulate the amount of water being discharged through the opening indicated at 16 into the hopper.

It will be noticed that said lip or flange 3 1s beveled upon its outer face and that by reason of the rotation of the arms or blades the water is deflected across the hopper diagonally instead of vertically so that as it passes through the supporting screen 17 the material on top of the screen will be moved toward the separating partition 18 which is right angular in form and over which the Washed coal is adapted to pass as will be readily understood. This partition is provided with a port 19 through which the heavier material such as slate and the like finds exit.

The shaft 4 extends out of the casing and has secured thereto a gear 20 which meshes with another gear 21 of approximately onehalf the size and carried upon a shaft 22 which is also journaled in the casing and has secured thereto a rotary valve 23, said valve being hollow and substantially semicylindrical in shape. It will be noticed that the valve 23 makes two revolutions to each revolution of the shaft 4 so that the piston upon the shaft 1 makes two strokes with each revolution of the shaft owing to the fact that it carries two blades diametrically opposed. As shown in Fig. 3 the valve 23 is in engagement with the hub 5 and with the inwardly turned flange or lip 3. In this posiiion by reason of the gearing employed one of the blades or the plunger or piston I will be making its stroke so as to expel a quantity of water from the casing through the opening 16 so as to cause the level of the water to be increased in the hopper and cause such water to flow through the screen in a stream or body which moves the coal and slate toward the partition 18 and the opening 19 therein. Thevalve 23 is always in the position shown or in other words, variations of the closed position while the blades are making their strokes and in open position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 when the blades are inactive so that the water can have free passage through the same around the shaft as will be readily uI derstood.

Secured to the shaft 22 is a sprocket wheel 24 whichis connected by means of a sprocket chain 25 toa similar wheel 26 mounted upon a shaft 27 journaled in the lowenend of the hopper and carrying avalve 28 of similar construction to the valve 23. This valve is adapted to rest upon concentric seats 29 formed on opposite sides of the dischar e opening 30. This valve is connected y means of the sprocket chains and sprocket Wheels with the shaft 22 so that it has an equal number of rotations with the valve 23 and is closed in the position shown in Fig. 3 when the valve 23 is closed so that the power of the plunger will not be in any way lessened. This valve permits the hopper to discharge the sediment and fine material passing through the screen after each stroke of the plunger. Immediately below the discharge opening 30 the hopper has connected thereto an inclined sheet or way 31 which serves in the capacity of a spiral or drag conveyer and when used in combination with the valve is much more efiicient on account of the fact that very little water is discharged from the hopper and at the same time all sediment is carried oil? in a more thorougn manner.

It will be readily seen that by adjusting the gate 8 that the sides of the stream or moving body of water can be properly regulated so that materials of different sizes or specific gravity may be readily operated upon with equal efliciency. There is shown connected to the hopper or to the upper portion of the casing a tank 32 which is adapted to receive the waste water returning from the settling tank not shown. This waste water may be either returned-by pump or by having the settling tank arranged at a higher level from the hopper so that it may be re turned by gravit lVhat is claimed is 1. A washing device comprising a hopper having a supporting screen, a casing arranged within the hopper and having a port communicating with said hopper, a rotating plunger adapted to discharge the water through said port and toward the screen,

and a valve normally closing the casing above the plunger and between said plunger and port.

2. A washing device comprising a hopper having a supporting screen, a casing arianged .within the hopper and having a port communicating with said hopper, a rotating plunger adapted to dischargethe water through said port and'toward the screen, a valve normally closing the casing above the plunger and between said plunger and port, and a manually operated sliding gate for governing the size of the port.

3. A washing'device comprising a hopper having a supporting screen, a casing arranged within said hopper and having a port communicating with the hopper, a hub disposed within said casing and carrying a plunger, said plunger adapted to discharge the water through the said port and toward the screen, a hollow valve having a circular peripheral surface adapted to cooperate for valve purposes with the circular surface of the hub of the lunger.

4. A washing device comprising a hopper having a supporting screen, a casing arranged within the hopper having a port communicating with said hopper, a valve normally closing the port of the casing,,a hub, a plunger carried by the hub and in: cluding diametrically opposed arms proj ecting from the hub, and means for operating the plunger and valve to move the valves beyond the path of the arms.

5. A washing device comprising a hopper having a supporting screen, a casing arranged within the hopper having a port communicating with said hopper, a rotating plunger adapted to discharge the water through said port and toward the screen, a valve normally closing the casing above the plunger and between said plunger and port, and a manually operated sliding gate for governing the size of the port, said gate having a water directing surface leading toward the screen.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 

